Macron Seeks Political Reinvigoration from Notre Dame Reopening

President Emmanuel Macron, whose political standing has been significantly weakened, is hoping to gain renewed political vitality from the ceremonial reopening of Notre Dame on Saturday. Accompanied by US President-elect Donald Trump, Prince William, and other international figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron intends to present the restored cathedral as a testament to France’s inherent creative strength. In an address commemorating the event, he will encourage the world to look beyond the nation’s current political turmoil and appreciate the resolve, organization, and diligent effort that have successfully restored one of France’s most renowned structures in just five years. This much-anticipated occasion occurs as France enters a period of profound uncertainty, triggered by the collapse of Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government on Wednesday. A successor has not yet been named. Five-and-a-half years after the devastating fire, Macron had planned for the cathedral’s reopening to be the optimistic highlight of 2024 – a year also featuring the Paris Olympic Games. However, while he aims to capitalize on the project’s undeniable success, an unavoidable contrast exists between the country’s overall subdued state and the monumental achievement of repairing this magnificent Gothic cathedral. The ceremony signifies the moment the Catholic Church officially reclaims possession of the cathedral, ahead of the first Mass scheduled for Sunday. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will tap on the front portal using a staff fashioned from one of the salvaged roof-timbers. Met by the choir, already positioned inside, he will enter the cathedral and instruct the organ to “ring forth praises of God”. Macron had initially planned to deliver a speech within the cathedral, but was advised that this would contravene France’s strict regulations on secularity. As a compromise, he visited the cathedral eight days ago to express gratitude to hundreds of craftsmen and women – a televised tour that offered the world a first glimpse of the stunningly rejuvenated interior. The evening’s religious service will be followed by a concert featuring Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Canadian singer Garou. Sunday’s Mass – which the president will attend – will be conducted by Archbishop Ulrich in the presence of 170 French bishops and priests from 106 Paris parishes. The inaugural public Mass is on Sunday evening, but booking was required – as it is for all the Masses planned for the week ahead. One dignitary who will not be present is Pope Francis, though he has sent a message that will be read out on Saturday. The Pope’s relations with France are described as cordial rather than genuinely friendly. He is reported to have been angered by French policies to reduce immigration, and by Macron’s decision to enshrine the right to abortion in the constitution. In the French press, the Pope is said to be more interested in the younger and growing Christian communities of the southern hemisphere than the medieval Churches of Europe. The fire on 15 April 2019 destroyed the medieval roof-timbers, the spire, and three sections of stone vaulting. An appeal for donors raised €850m ($897m; £704m), and 2,000 masons, carpenters, art-restorers, engineers and architects worked on the project. “The moment I looked inside on the day after the fire, I knew that everything would be all right. The damage was nothing like as bad as I had feared,” said cathedral chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, who disputes the widespread theory that Notre-Dame came close to total collapse. “Apart from replacing the roof and spire, the main task was decontamination. Everything was covered in lead oxide powder. But that meant we could restore and clean – which explains why the cathedral looks so beautiful today.” Before the fire, the cathedral was already considered to be in a state of severe disrepair, and scaffolding was in place to renovate the spire and other external parts much damaged by corrosion. Some 12 million people per year were visiting the cathedral, a number which is now expected to rise. A new route around the building has been devised to cope with the 100 visitors a minute expected to come here at the height of the tourist season. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.